Night-Time Must Read: James Pethokoukis: Is the Temp Economy Permanent?

James Pethokoukis: Is the temp economy permanent?: “If the US job market were undergoing some sort of major, long-lasting transformation, how would we know?

Well, the data might start looking kind of weird. Maybe the labor force participation would collapse, or wages would stagnate, or job creation would shrivel. Or we might see something like a big rise in temporary workers…. So are we are headed to where Japan already is? A third of its workers are temps who are paid less, receive fewer benefits, and have less job security…. If this trend is longer-term, it argues for better education and training so workers can do the high-value things machines can’t. Government should also be careful of polices that raise hiring costs like mandating benefits or wage floors… should take a deep look at wage subsidies for lower-skilled workers…